The Impressionists at the Art Institute– Part Four

It would be hard to over-estimate the importance of Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), one of the most distinguished of the Impressionists, and one with considerable longevity. The Art Institute has a goodly sampling of his work, though, not some of the most famous of his paintings. Among other things, Renoir had a great gift for painting faces, including the faces of children…. for example….

His paintings of flowers became very popular indeed…

As were his depictions of home life…

Less well known are his seascapes….

It is instructive to compare Renoir’s more delineated but still pastel renderings to the fuzzier technique of Monet…..

Or compare the work of Vuillard in his painting of a lady with a red shawl….